


the further adventures of lem, hella, and fero: the danger of negotiation

by fangirl_squee, madelinestarr



Series: the bird, the book, the shield [9]
Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Hella-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 07:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11308881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/madelinestarr/pseuds/madelinestarr
Summary: Fero is endangered on a diplomatic mission, but luckily he is married to two excellent bodyguards.





	the further adventures of lem, hella, and fero: the danger of negotiation

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks, as always, to Lexie, for betaing.

Fero woke slowly, his head aching. He blinked around at the darkness, trying to make sense of things. He wasn’t sure if it was the dark making it hard to see, or if his eyes weren’t focusing. He tried to sit up but fell back, wincing. He touched the back of his head, hissing as his fingers touched something damp and sticky at the center of where the pain was. He rubbed his fingers together, squinting at them in the darkness. Blood. Awesome.

 

Now he remembered. They’d finished their meetings for the day when one of the Ordenans, Cam, had approached him after he’d exited the big meeting tent, asking to speak to him in private. Cam had been quiet throughout the talks, their face giving very little away, but they had be polite enough to Fero during group meals, and they’d seemed harmless enough, all wide smiles and a nervous tremble to their voice that Fero had taken at the time as a sign that Cam had inside information to share.

 

Sabrina had told him never to go off on his own  _ but _ Sabrina had also told that sometimes during diplomatic meetings it was easier to make deals one of one, and to take opportunities for that where he could. This had seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that.

 

Lem had been deep in a discussion with one of the Velas scribes, and Hella had been by the fire, peacefully cleaning her sword side-by-side with another Ordenan soldier, and he hadn’t wanted to pull either of them away, so he’d followed Cam into the forest.

 

In retrospect, he should have been more suspicious that Cam wanted to speak to him so far out of sight of the camp. Or at least, he should he been more aware of his surroundings when Cam had pointed upward, directing Fero’s attention to the birds fluttering around the treetops and not the heavy blow someone had landed on the back of his head.

 

So that was one mystery down. As for where he was now… the steady sound of hoofbeats that matched the rhythm of the rocking motion meant whatever box he was in was probably on a horse. The cramped space Fero was in felt like unpolished wood, so it was a crate or an unfinished chest maybe.  _ No respect for such a high-ranking diplomat. _

 

Fero felt along what he thought was the top, feeling for a latch of some kind, anything that he could work on in order to open the top of it. The rocking motion had the opposite rhythm to the throbbing of his head, making it hard to concentrate. 

 

It took Fero a moment to process that the rocking motion had stopped, replaced by a spinning feeling, and another for him to realise that this probably meant the crate was going to be opened soon. It would have been a good idea to turn into an animal, but Fero could only think of mice, and if someone was trying to hurt him - which, seeing as how he was currently locked in a chest by a rogue Ordenan, was probably the case - it would be a lot easier to hurt him if he were a mouse.

 

The chest was lifted upwards, and Fero slide forwards, trying to brace himself against the side. A spike of pain ran through his wrist and up his arm and he jerked backward, gasping. He cradled his arm to his chest. It didn’t feel broken, which at least was  _ something _ , but it was something else to watch out for after the crate was open if he was going to make his escape.

 

He just needed a plan. Between his spinning head and the throb of his wrist it was hard to think about anything besides  _ Ow _ and  _ I don’t love this _ . 

 

The chest jolted as it hit the ground, and the top was hesitantly opened. Fero squinted against the dim light of the moon. The first thing his eyes managed to focus on was the long blade Cam held out in front of him, pointed directly at Fero’s chest. It would have been hard not to notice it - the tip of it was pointing directly at Fero’s chest, scratching him through the fabric, as though Cam was having to restrain themselves from driving it through Fero then and there.

 

Fero looked slowly from the sword to Cam’s face. It took him a moment to get his eyes to focus, taking in Cam’s scowl as he did so. 

 

“What,” said Fero slowly, trying to make the jumble of words in his head come out right, “What are you trying to do here exactly? Because I gotta be honest, I’m not exactly seeing a stellar plan here.”

 

“The plan is simple, but I understand if your mind cannot grasp even that,” said Cam. “Once I am done here, I will return to camp and tell them that you have attacked me. Such an insult to the agreements will be enough to get Ordena to break early from this farce of peace and then we can return to the old way. The true way.”

 

“Ugh,” said Fero, “first of all, the old ways suck.”

 

Cam made a spluttering noise. The point of the sword scraped on Fero’s chest again.

 

“And second of all, do you  _ really _ think anyone’s going to believe I just attacked you?”

 

“You are a halfling with the unnatural ability to transform into animals,” said Cam. “You are tied to an rogue orc and the Queen Killer herself. It will not take much to convince the Ordenan council members that you succumbed to your wild nature.”

 

Fero frowned, trying to concentrate on Cam’s words.

 

“That’s stupid,” said Fero, after a moment. “They’re tied to me, if anything.”

 

Cam’s face twisted into a sneer. “It doesn’t not matter what you think.” They drew back their sword.

 

Fero gripped the edge of the crate, trying to will his body to jump over it, to do something, but it was as though his thoughts were fighting against the tide. He couldn't even make his gaze stay on Cam, drifting to the forest behind them.

 

“Any regrets?” said Cam, still smirking down at Fero.

 

Lem and Hella flew to the top of Fero’s mind. He hoped they wouldn’t believe Cam’s story. It would have been nice to see them one last time. Actually, it would have been nicer to see them every day until they were all old and grey, but he could have settled for just once more.

 

“Sure,” said Fero. “I’ve got some regrets. None that I’d tell you though.”

 

Cam’s face twisted in anger. “Fine. I hope you are prepared for death.”

 

Because Fero’s eye was on the forest behind Cam, he saw the familiar glint of a sword he knew. Despite the pain in his head, Fero grinned.

 

“I don’t think I’m the one who’ll need to be doing that,” said Fero.

 

Cam half-turned before Hella struck. They barely had time to look surprised, their expression still half focused on their distaste at Fero as they went slack. Their sword fell from their hand, dropping onto the dirt.

 

Hella’s blade made a sickening wet, sucking sound and she pulled it from Cam’s body. Cam fell next to their sword, unmoving.

 

Hella fell to her knees, taking Fero by the shoulders. Fero met her eyes with effort.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“My head hurts,” Fero managed.

 

“Lem!” yelled Hella behind her.

 

“No, I’m Fero,” said Fero, hoping he was right.

 

Lem ran into the clearing. His panicked expression matched Hella’s and his blade was drawn.

 

“Oh,” said Fero, “Lem’s here, too. I was just thinking that I wished you were here.”

 

Hella and Lem exchanged worried looks. Lem crouched so that he was eye level with Fero.

 

“Fero,” said Lem seriously, “how many fingers am I holding up?”

 

Fero concentrated. It was hard to tell, Lem must have been waving his hand around so fast to make his fingers so blurry.

 

“Three?” said Fero, giving it his best guess.

 

Lem frowned. He reached forward, his hand going to the back of Fero’s head.

 

Fero flinched away. “Hurts.”

 

“I know,” said Lem, “I just want to check. I’ll be careful.”

 

“You don’t need to check,” said Fero, wincing as Lem’s fingers touched the back of his head. “It definitely does hurt.”

 

“I don’t think anything’s… broken,” said Lem to Hella, “We should get him back to camp though, have the physician check him out.”

 

“I’m fine,” said Fero, trying to stand straighter.

 

Even though he was still holding on to the side of the crate, the world tilted sharply to the right and Fero stumbled, falling backwards. Hella caught the front of his shirt. Fero grabbed at her sleeve, twisting his fingers in the cloth to keep his grip.

 

“Yes, you seem fine,” said Hella dryly.

 

“I’m going to pick you up now, okay?” said Lem, “So you don’t have to walk.”

 

“Okay,” said Fero, “if it’ll make  _ you _ feel better.”

 

Lem smiled. “It will.”

 

It was easy to relax in Lem’s arms. He leant his head against Lem’s chest, looking up at the familiar planes of Lem’s face. He could feel Lem’s heartbeat under his fingertips and see Hella walking beside them out of the corner of his eye. His eyes began to drift closed.

 

Hella poked him sharply in the side. “Don’t fall asleep.”

 

“I won’t,” said Fero. “I was just resting my eyes.”

 

Lem jiggled Fero in his arms, and Fero looked up at him. “Maybe you should talk to us, to keep yourself awake.”

 

“Normally people tell me to do that opposite of that,” said Fero.

 

“When have  _ we _ ever said that?” said Lem.

 

Fero hummed. “I guess you guys are different. I like that about you.”

 

“Hey,” said Lem, after Fero had been silent a few moments, “Talk to us.”

 

“About what?” said Fero.

 

“Tell us what happened,” said Hella.

 

“We were walking, and then Cam hit me in the head,” said Fero, “Then I woke up in a box, and then they opened the box and asked if I had any regrets.”

 

“And do you?” prompted Lem.

 

“Only that I wouldn’t have been able to see you guys if I was dead,” said Fero.

 

Hella tightened her grip on her sword, scowling. “I gave them too good of a death.”

 

Lem tightened his arms around Fero.

 

Fero started to roll his eyes, but it hurt. “You guys got there pretty much after that. Not much time for anything else to happen,” said Fero, playing with the corner of one of Lem’s pocket covers.

 

“You weren’t really that far away,” said Hella. “Once we realised you were gone we ran out after you. I think Sabrina was trying to organise a search party but,” she shrugged, “Lem and I weren’t about to wait around.”

 

“And then you found me,” said Fero.

 

Hella looked over at Fero, touching his cheek lightly. “And then we found you.”

 

“And now we’re going back to camp,” said Lem, “so you can get properly patched up.”

 

“And now you’re  _ carrying  _ me back to camp,” corrected Fero.

 

“Well I don’t really think you’re in any condition to walk right now,” said Lem.

 

“I don’t mind that much,” said Fero. “Your arms are much more comfortable than the chest I was in before.”

 

“I should hope so,” said Lem, amused.

 

Fero hummed again. “I like it, when you carry me.”

 

The corners of Lem’s eyes crinkled as he smiled down at Fero. “I know.”

 

“It’s nice,” repeated Fero, “I feel bad that Hella doesn’t get to be carried as much.”

 

Hella laughed. “Maybe next time we take a trip and I don’t feel like walking.”

 

There were more voices as they got closer to camp, people yelling and the thumping of footsteps. Hella spoke to people, too fast for Fero’s foggy mind to make sense of. He tried to figure out what was happening from their worried expressions. 

 

Lem was humming something quietly just for him, the song he had played them a year or so ago. He felt a little bit less dizzy, his brain naturally attuning to the melodies written for him.

 

“Fero?” asked Hella softly, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder.

 

Fero looked up at her. The firelight from a torch was behind her, giving her a halo of fire.

 

“You’re pretty,” said Fero. He turned his focus to Lem, reaching a clumsy hand up to touch Lem’s chin. “You’re both very petty.”

 

He could feel Lem’s smile under his fingertips. “Well, thank you.”

 

“I feel like I say it all the time,” said Fero slowly, “but maybe that’s just because I think it so much.”

 

Hadrian approached, his worried expression matching Hella’s. “You found him! Is he alright?”

 

“Nothing broken,” said Hella, “Seems like they hit him pretty hard in the head though.”

 

“Now  _ you _ ,” said Fero, looking at Hadrian, _ “ _ You’re not  _ as _ pretty, but I  _ get _ it.”

 

Hadrian looked at Hella, raising his eyebrows. “How hard did they hit him?”

 

“Hard enough,” said Hella grimly.

 

Hadrian stilled, putting a hand on Hella’s arm. “And how hard did you hit back?”

 

“As hard as I had to,” said Hella.

 

“Hella, you can’t just-”

 

“Fero would have been killed,” snapped Hella, “there wasn’t time for anything else. And even if there was time for mercy, Cam didn’t deserve it.”

 

Fero could feel Lem shaking and turned his attention back to Lem. He put a hand on Lem’s neck, petting the area clumsily.

 

“I’m alright,” said Fero.

 

“No, you’re not,” said Lem, sounding tense, “you’re bleeding.”

 

“S’fine,” said Fero.

 

Fero’s hand moved with Lem’s shake of his head, continuing to hum his song from earlier.

 

Sabrina came into Fero’s field of vision, the camp doctor trailing along behind her. They both looked equally worried, although Sabrina at least gave him a small smile as she approached.

 

“Before you start,” said Fero, “I really thought Cam was going to be a lot more helpful than they turned out to be.”

 

Sabrina put her hand on his forehead. “We can talk about it later, after you’ve been looked over.”

 

“But I’m  _ fine _ ,” said Fero.

 

“I’m sure you are,” said Sabrina, her voice business-like, “but  _ I’d _ feel much better if you let the doctor take a look at you.”

 

Fero sighed, and winced as the movement made the pain in his head pulse. “Fine.”

 

Hella hovered by Lem’s shoulder as they walked to the physician's tent. She hadn’t sheathed her blade.

 

The doctor gestured to the small padded bench. “Please lay him down.”

 

Lem tightened his arm around Fero. “Can’t you just…”

 

“I’m afraid not,” said the doctor.

 

Lem hesitated for a moment before setting Fero down. As he moved away a little, Fero reached out and grabbed Lem’s hand.

 

“Don’t go,” said Fero.

 

Lem’s face crumpled. 

 

“I’m not,” said Lem, his voice hoarse. “I won’t.”

 

“This might be easier if you both could step away-”

 

“No,” said Hella firmly.

 

The doctor looked to Sabrina, who shrugged. They sighed. The doctor leaned around Lem and Hella to lay their hand on Fero’s head. Fero felt the prickly-staticy feeling of magic. He wrinkled his nose at the sensation, which only hurt for a few moments. It reminded him of how it felt to return to his usual form when he got hurt as a an animal. But like the bad energy was going inside instead of to the air around him. 

 

Fero’s head began to clear, the pain replaced by a bone-deep tiredness.

 

“He’ll need to rest,” Fero heard the doctor say, “but it wasn’t anything too serious. He’ll be tired for a day, maybe two, and then he’ll be back to normal.”

 

“Normal for you or normal for me?” Fero tried to say, but his mouth seemed too tired to say much of anything. 

 

Hella put a hand on his shoulder and Fero blinked up at her, slowly. He reached up, feeling as though his arm was made of lead, and covered her hand with his.

 

“My turn,” said Hella, picking him up.

 

She carried him back to their tent, Lem following closely behind. She and Lem helped him out of his rumpled clothes, making sure he was comfortable on their bedroll before they laid down around him.

 

Fero tried to position himself so he could see both of them without having to turn his head, pulling them so that their bodies were pressed closely against his.

 

“Are you sure you’re comfortable like this?” said Hella.

 

Fero was glad she sounded more amused than worried.

 

“Yeah,” said Fero, snuggling into both of their sides.

 

Lem pulled the blanket over the three of them, tucking it around Fero’s shoulders. Fero wriggled, not wanting the blanket to get in the way of touching them. He pressed a sleepy kiss to Lem’s arm and Hella’s shoulder.

 

“M’glad I’m not dead,” said Fero.

 

Lem’s breath hitched. “I’m glad of that, too.”

 

“No, I mean,” Fero could feel himself slipping into sleep, fighting against the pull to get the words out. “Now I really will get to see you both every day. That’s good. No regrets.”

 

\----

 

When Fero opened his eyes again, his head felt clear. He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the tent.

 

This time, the feeling of being cramped came from Lem and Hella on either side of him. Both of them were stretched out on their sides. Lem was asleep. Fero could feel his breaths, deep and even, tickling his ears. Hella’s head was pillowed on her arm, as though she’d been propping herself up. She smiled tiredly at him, reaching over to brush hair out of his eyes.

 

“How are you feeling?” she said, keeping her voice quiet.

 

“Better,” said Fero. He paused. “How long was I asleep?”

 

“A day.”

 

Fero tensed. “Ordena?”

 

Hella put a hand on his shoulder, pressing down gently.

 

“Sabrina’s sorting it out,” said Hella. “Everything’s fine.”

 

“But I-”

 

“You’re supposed to  _ rest _ ,” said Hella, “you can go back to saving Hieron tomorrow.”

 

Fero let out a breath. “Okay.”

 

Hella pressed a kiss to his cheek and another to his lips. “Good. Now: rest.”

 

“I  _ am _ ,” said Fero. “Look, I’m lying down and everything.”

 

Hella hummed. She ran a hand lightly through his hair.

 

Fero hesitated, looking up at her. “Were you guys…”

 

“Were we what?”

 

“Did you stay here  _ all day _ ?”

 

Hella shrugged.

 

“Wasn’t that,” Fero shifted, wrinkling his nose, “I don’t know, boring?”

 

Hella looked down at him sharply, her face serious. “We wanted to make sure you were okay.”

 

“Of course I was okay,” said Fero. “You rescued me.”

 

“Well, we just wanted to be  _ sure _ .” Hella paused. “You really scared us. Fero, when we couldn’t find you we thought… You  _ really _ scared us.”

 

“I’m sorry,” said Fero.

 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” said Hella, “Just be  _ careful _ .”

 

“Yeah okay,” said Fero, yawning.

 

Hella smiled tiredly at him. “Go back to sleep.”

 

“Yeah okay,” said Fero again, “You too.”

 

“Well,” sighed Hella, “if you insist.”

 

Fero pulled at her sleep shirt so that she was at a better angle for a kiss, sleepy and soft. Beside them, Lem made a quiet noise in his sleep, slinging an arm over Fero so that his hand was touching Hella’s side. Fero felt Hella smile into their kiss.

 

“See you in the morning,” said Fero sleepily.

 

Hella hummed, laying her head down on the pillow so that she could still look at Fero. “And every morning after that.”

 

Fero smiled, leaning his head against Hella’s shoulder. “Yeah. And every morning.”

 

“Go back to sleep or else there’s gonna be less mornings,” Lem said, through a yawn. Fero and Hella giggled. 

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: madelinestarr | mariusperkins


End file.
